Harry will be forced to give up Duke of Sussex title if he becomes US citizen after moving to LA with Meghan
Before Harry and Meghan Markle officially quit the royal family on March 31, they flew to California, leaving their Vancouver Island home behind, just before Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shut the border. Although Harry still has a few years to go before he can officially apply to become a US citizen, the process might require him to give up the title of "Duke of Sussex".
While Meghan does not have to worry about this since she is already a US citizen by birth, her husband stands to lose his royal title once he is eligible for a Green Card in three years, as part of the process to become a fully-fledged US resident.
Any US citizen has to take the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance, which states, "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.. so help me God."
To successfully complete the application, Harry will then be asked if he held any “hereditary title or an order of notability in any foreign country.” If he responds in the affirmative, he will be asked to relinquish their titles as part of a “naturalization ceremony."
Back in February, just days after it was reported that Harry and Meghan were banned by Queen Elizabeth II from using the word 'royal' in their official brand 'Sussex Royal,' a spokesperson for the couple confirmed the changes that were supposed to take place after their shocking decision to step back as senior members of the royal family.
The spokesperson said that Harry and Meghan will continue to be known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as by their titles, the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton and the Baron and Baroness Kilkeel. In addition, the statement added that Princess Diana's youngest son would also be retaining the ranks of Major, Lieutenant Commander, and Squadron Leader. Also, since he never abdicated, Harry also remains the sixth in line to the throne and the Sussexes' status in the order of precedence did not change.
Both Harry will Archie are most likely to hold dual citizenship, even as they spend most of their time in Los Angeles - Meghan's homeland - with occasional visits to the United Kingdom. The former 'Suits' star, on the other hand, had started the process to become a UK citizen after she married Harry, but that will most likely not happen now.
A royal insider told The Sun last week that the move to the US was in the works for the couple for quite some time now: “This move was planned for some time. They realised Canada would not work out for various reasons and they want to be based in the Los Angeles area. They have a big support network there. It’s where their new team of Hollywood agents and PRs and business managers are based. Meghan has lots of friends there and, of course, her mum Doria."